Yes, Sir
by youngmoony
Summary: Jane O'Coileain doesn't know when to quit. After being raised in an egalitarian and Rebel home, Jane refuses to be left out of the war effort. Cue to costuming in a soldier's uniform and cutting her hair to short to gain entry into the army. Her plan is nearly flawless, besides one fatal hole: Alexander Hamilton. A story of plot twists, romance, and rebellion. Rated M just in case.
1. The Four Siblings (Prologue Part 1)

**Note: This has only been edited by me and has not been run through a beta, so feel free to point out any grammatical mistakes to me. This is a Alexander Hamilton fanfiction that is modeled after Lin Manuel Miranda's version of events but fair warning, it concentrates heavily on the life of the OC as well as the existing characters. If that isn't your cup of tea, I suggest not reading any further. Jane's personality is not modeled after any real person I know, but instead a combined peppering of my female role models. This just includes her egalitarian ideals, wit, family values, and passionate drive. Thanks for reading. I've worked a bit ahead of the first chapter so don't worry about abandonment.**

xxx

Jane O'Coileain hated high society life. There. She said it. She hated the dinners where the men at the table would glare at her if she spoke without being spoken to, she hated the way she heard polished and fat plantation owners laugh about their slaves' struggles as she passed them on the streets full of the nicest shops, the way the so-called ladies in her same economic class would turn up their noses to the women in rags carrying baskets down the street, she hated all that was expected of her. Specifically, she hated that she was expected to believe that people deserved be treated as lesser than others simply because of the circumstance of their birth. She did not, however, feel this same disgust towards her own family even though they did live in the higher class of society.

Jane's mother had died of a terrible bout of the flu when she was just seven years old. Leaving her, her three brothers, and her father alone. Mrs. O'Coileain had been a fierce woman and it had shocked everyone when the flu had beat her. Everyone had expected her to come out of the other end stronger, as iron sharpens iron. Before her untimely death she had instilled very progressive values in her children, and those values had stayed with them although they had been so young at the time. It did help that her father nurtured and helped grow these values. He raised Jane, her twin brother John, her older brother Hugh, and her youngest brother Wilhelm to cherish what their mother had taught them. He treated Jane the same as his sons, letting her form and voice her own opinions alongside her brothers and complete the same amount of schooling. He educated them about everything from the plight of the slaves in their country to calculus (though he did leave the lengthier equations for the tutors). Yes, Mr. O'Coileain kept his beloved wife's memory alive through shaping his children into compassionate, strong, and educated people. However, there was one thing he taught his children that his wife hadn't had the chance to even begin doing. He educated them of the affairs that occurred between the Colonies and Britain but kept his teachings objective and unbiased, letting them decide what direction they would follow the path of. Soon Jane, John, Hugh, and Wilhelm found themselves scoffing at the taxation of tea and how Britain viewed themselves as the elite. In short, Jane loved her family for all that they were worth as they not only provided the purest form of unconditional love to her, but also banded together with her with an ambition to reshape society.

Jane and John had been nine, Hugh eleven, and Wilhelm eight when they had first spoken of this:

 _The moment they got home, Jane kicked off her small black shoes and stomped upstairs to her room, not even bothering to take off her winter coat and hang it on the rack. She slammed the door in a most unladylike fashion and fell back onto her baby blue bedspread, feeling hot tears run down her face. Downstairs, her father looked at the staircase where she had just disappeared into with a small frown on his face. "Boys," he addressed his sons and immediately their attention was turned to him. "Go check on your sister. Speak to her of what troubles her and help her find solace."_

 _"Are you sure father? She seems very upset. Wouldn't it be better for you to speak to her?" John asked, worried about upsetting his sister more than she needed to be._

 _Eoghan O'Coileain rested a hand on Wilhelm and Hugh's shoulders and addressed all three boys, "Yes. There will come a day when I will not be able to comfort our sweet Jane. When that day comes, it will fall to you to help her. Just as it will fall to her to help you and stand by you no matter what. Now, go up there and make me proud, boys," He ruffled John's hair and gently guided the boys towards the stairs._

 _They hurried up the stairs, now eager to go speak to their sister not only to help her but also to make their father proud. When they got to Jane's tall white door with the carved flowers, it was Hugh who knocked. "Janie? Can we come in?" he called out to the girl he knew was by now wrapped in her blanket. A few moments after he knocked, he heard a shuffle and the door cracked open a bit._

 _"What do you want?" she sniffled and peered through the small opening in the door at her siblings._

 _"To make you feel better, of course," Wilhelm said quietly to her. "None of us like it when our Janie is upset," his lips turned down. A second later, the door was swung open completely to reveal their sister with small tears running down her cheeks and a lilac and white blanket wrapped around her shoulders with 'Jane' embroidered on one of the corners in their mother's stitching style. She crossed the room and plopped back down on the bed. The boys stepped into her room and Hugh closed the door quietly behind them, a juxtaposition to the last time it had been slammed closed just a few minutes earlier. Hugh sat in the wooden rocking chair close to her bed, Wilhelm folded down on the floor in front of Jane with his legs crossed, and John sat down on the bed with his sister and grabbed her hand, squeezing her small fingers with his._

 _"What's wrong, Jane?" John asked quietly. His sister had been acting strangely ever since they got to the party held at the governor's house._

 _Jane scrunched her small nose and took her hand away from her brother's. "Don't pretend like you didn't notice what happened!" She huffed and pulled the blanket closer around her._

 _The boys shared bemused glances with each other. "Jane, I think I speak for us all when I say that we didn't notice anything wrong at the party, besides you seeming upset, of course," Hugh said slowly. Wilhelm and John both nodded their heads in agreement._

 _Jane looked down at her hands in her lap. "You mean you really didn't hear what the governor said to me?" she met John's eyes and could tell from his knit brows that he hadn't heard any of she and the governor's short exchange. She looked to her other two brothers to see their expressions mirroring John's. Wilhelm shook his blonde head, no. "He told me that I shouldn't have been playing with you and the other boys. That it was my job to keep quiet and act like a proper lady because I'm a girl," the words tasted sour in her mouth. "That I was ruining your fun playing with you."_

 _Wilhelm's jaw hung open, and Hugh and John's eyes widened. "I thought the governor was a good man!" Wilhelm exclaimed. "Isn't it in the rules that he has to be nice?" It didn't make sense in Wilhelm's young mind that a man as respected and celebrated as the governor could say such condescending things to his sister._

 _"Oh, Janie," John grabbed her hand again and used his other arm to pull her closer to his side, "We don't think you ruin our fun. We were rather put out when you sat out our games at the party." Jane let out another shaking breath and wiped away tears with her free hand._

 _"It's not just that! He's in the government! He has power over deciding the things we can and can't do! And he doesn't like that I was being treated equally with you boys!" More tears fell down her soft rosy cheeks._

 _There was a silence in the room as Jane's words sunk into their thoughts. They felt sick that their sister could be oppressed by such a powerful institution as their government and the monarchy of Britain. Jane let out another gasp of sobs and Hugh was struck with a sudden stroke of genius. "Then we don't let him hold that power over us," he rushed out, excited. "We take it away and make a place where everyone is treated fairly and Jane can play tag!"_

 _Wilhelm was affected by his brother's sudden burst of energy and bounced slightly where he was sitting. "Mommy would have liked to live there!" he exclaimed suddenly with a wide smile._

 _John looked between his two brothers with an arch eyebrow. Jane voiced the thought that was running through his head. "How are you going to do that? That sounds absurd!" Although she was questioning the logistics of Hugh's plan, there was now a small smile on her face._

 _Hugh was at a loss at that question, he had simply thought of the end and not the means. "Wait," John said slowly. "The governor is appointed by Britain, right?" John asked trying to remember his lessons. "If we want to take away their power then we have to fight Britain and the King for it."_

 _"_ Fight against King George _? Are you mad?" Jane couldn't believe what she was hearing._

 _"It makes sense, Jane! If Britain and the Colonies start a war then the government practically resets itself!" Hugh's puberty burdened voice cracked under his excitement._

 _Jane hastily wiped away the last of her tears and sat up a bit higher on her bed. For a moment she didn't know what to say, in awe of her brother's sudden genius. "Then we have a chance to make things the way we want them to be."_

 _Wilhelm's excitement finally burst and he let out a large cheer. He sprang up and began to jump around her room. "I'm gonna be King of New Colony!" he proclaimed. "And I'll make it illegal for mean men to be governors!"_

 _Jane smiled watching her brother dance around for a moment but then fell serious again. "Would you really do that for me? Go to war?" she asked timidly, she couldn't believe that they could love her enough to literally put their lives on the line and fight for her._

 _At that Hugh got off of the rocking chair and sat down on the other side of Jane on her bed, looping an arm around her shoulders, "If it means you and so many others were treated like you should be, I'll fight until my dying breath."_

 _Later on, the four children would walk out of Jane's large bedroom to be met with their father's proud smile as they told them of their new plans for revolution._

Jane was suddenly taken out of her thoughts about her family when the carriage she was in came to a sudden stop and she would have been pitched off of her seat if Hugh's long arm had not shot out instinctively to hold her back. She looked up at her brother who was now seven years older than he had been in the memory she had just been reliving. He was now tall and broad, a wall of muscle that intimidated almost all that came into contact with him. His jaw had sharpened through him growing into a man and his brown and wavy hair was now cropped close to his head though it was too short for Jane's liking. "Thank you," she said gratefully but unlike usual, he did not grace her with a smile. Just a somber nod of his head. She glanced at Wilhelm and John on the seat across from her. Wilhelm's bright smile that seemed permanently glued to his face was nowhere to be seen and John's fists and jaw were clenched so hard she imagined it must be painful. She looked down at her black funeral dress and remembered why. She turned her eyes up to peer out of the window of the carriage to sweep her gaze across the graveyard. Her father was to be buried today. Just days prior, he had succumbed to the same illness here mother had all those years ago. It was fitting to Jane in a macabre way that they leave this world in the same manner. The carriage door swung open and their footman held out his hand for Jane to take. She took it and climbed out of the carriage on shaky legs. "Thank you, Jeremy," she stepped aside to let her brothers out.

"Of course, madam," Jeremy's gray head nodded. She looked around to see dozens of other carriages with people stepping out dressed in black from head to toe. Her father certainly was a popular man. She ran her fingers over her black shawl that was draped over her arms. She felt a hand slip into her own and looked over to be met with the dark blue eyes of her brother John. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and gave him a tight-lipped smile that he tried to return. She looked over at Wilhelm and felt a pang of crippling sorrow as she took in his unhappy face that she knew resembled her own. When Jeremy closed the carriage door behind Hugh they began to walk across the short grass to the six-foot-deep hole in the ground and the coffin that stood near it. The casket was beautiful, made of solid mahogany wood complete with ornate designs. As lovely as it was itself, she felt a wave of grief and sadness wash over her at the sight of it. She knew exactly what laid inside of it, though it was hard for her to believe. She and her brothers sat in the four chairs that were placed in front of the coffin. She heard the sound of people coming to stand behind her. She once again squeezed the hand she had not yet let go of and she felt John squeeze back. She grabbed Wilhelm's hand as well, and she didn't have to look to know that he in turned had grabbed Hugh's.

Throughout the ceremony, their heads remained high and their posture perfect. She, John, and Hugh all kept their faces as devoid of expression as possible though Wilhelm cried silently throughout the ceremony. They only managed this feat through clinging onto each other's hands until their knuckles turned white. The occasional squeeze and the brushing of a thumb over knuckles kept them from breaking apart. She only broke her stone expression twice during the two hour long funeral. First, when the minister called Hugh up to say a few words about his late father. Jane took a sharp intake of breath. The minister had made a mistake, this had not been planned.

Hugh closed his eyes for just a moment and stood up, walking steadily to face the crowd. To everyone standing in the crowd behind Jane, Hugh seemed like the perfect example of composure. It was only the three teenagers sitting that could see through his façade, noting the telltale signs such as the way the muscle in his jaw moved and how he blinked three times as often as normal. When he began to speak, his voice was strong and steady. "Firstly, I would like to thank all of you for coming to see my father off. It was you, his friends and family," his eyes flickered down to his siblings, "that gave him a life he loved. I am proud to call him my father, and will forever look back on my childhood with fond eyes because of his presence. Although I can't say that I am used to him begin gone yet, I already know that death is not the end. Death is not the end as we will still carry him in our hearts and keep him alive through tales spoken to our children. We all shall miss him, but I myself take comfort in knowing that he has been reunited with my mother in the heavens," Jane heard Wilhelm's quiet sniffle beside her and felt a single tear roll down her cheek, "My father would not want us to waste tears over him. In fact, I think he would be more upset if we didn't celebrate his life and accomplishments instead of mourning over the years he has now forfeited. Thank you again for coming," he nodded his head at the mass of black frills and suits. He tilted his head at his siblings and John and Wilhelm stood up and made their way towards him. An old friend of their fathers made his way out of the crowd as a volunteer to help, as he too knew what was happening. The four men each grabbed a handle of the coffin and made the painstakingly slow process of lowering their father into his final resting spot. Once they managed to place him gently on the bottom, the man she now recognized as James Whitham stepped back to his wife's side. Jane stood up silently now and stepped between her brothers.

Hugh grabbed the shovel first and scooped a sizeable amount of the displaced dirt onto it. He let the dirt fall onto the casket without another word and handed the shovel over to John. As John turned over the shovel and let the dirt sprinkle down he whispered, "I miss you already, Father."

It was now Wilhelm's turn. He took the shovel that was heavy in his hands and struggled to load as much dirt onto it as he possibly could. For the first time, Jane realized just how young they all were, especially Wilhelm. She let her eyes wander over his red rimmed eyes and quivering lip. To be orphaned so young was a truly disastrous thing. She blinked her tears away. When she heard Wilhelm mutter, "Say hi to Mommy for me," her resolve broke for the second and last time in front of all of the funeral goers. A second fat, hot tear escaped her eye and she quickly wiped it away. To hear Wilhelm refer to his mother as though he were six again broke her heart. She schooled her expression the best she could and took the shovel. She said nothing as she took her turn helping cover her father's body. She stepped back and handed the shovel to someone she didn't recognize. All of the guests stood in line, waiting to take their turn. She and her brothers were standing to the side in a small group. When she looked over each of their faces, she realized she hadn't spoken to any of them since the beginning of the funeral.

"I love you all," she suddenly said, "More than anything."

John's expression crumpled at her words and he hugged her and squeezed her to his chest as tight as he could. "I love you too, Janie. Wholeheartedly."

Wilhelm forced his way into their hug. "I love you so much. All of you," his voice cracked and she kissed the side of his blonde head.

John looked up expectantly at Hugh, who stared blankly back at him. It took just mere seconds for his resolve to crumble. He enveloped the three of them in his long arms and murmured, "I love you too." Jane knew this was not just meant for her, but her brothers as well. Their group embrace lasted only a couple more seconds until they pulled apart, still aware they were in a public venue. A few of the guests gave them peculiar looks, but most just had pity shining out at them. Jane couldn't help but shudder at that. Pity was a horrendous thing to feel for someone.


	2. Aunt Maren (Prolouge Part 2)

**Note: Hey guys! Thanks for giving this a view. Just a quick reminder that I don't have a beta yet and am perfectly fine if you correct any errors I may have missed. :)**

Before she knew it, she was back inside her lavish home but she couldn't let her guard down yet. Most of the people who had attended the funeral had come to their estate with them. She sat down by herself, taking a break, as her brothers continued to mill about, graciously accepting the many condolences offered to them. It seemed like she had only enjoyed a few seconds of peaceful solitude before another obstruction forced its way into her grieving. This particular deterrent came in the form of black frills and clacking heels. "Jane!" her Aunt Maren greeted, a smile plastered onto her drooping face that had reminded Jane of a bulldog ever since childhood. Jane was hoisted out of her comfortable seat and pulled into the bulldog's large arms. Aunt Maren hugged her too tightly, to the point where she was certain bones that weren't meant to touch were rubbing against one another. Her aunt smelled like mothballs masked with cheap perfume. Jane was about to quickly thank her for attending the service so she could escape this interaction, but suddenly remembered that her aunt had not been at her brother-in-law's funeral and gently pulled herself out of her aunt's grip in disgust. She had only bothered to come to the reception! Her aunt squeezed one of her cheeks and made a comment on her apparent plumpness. "Really dear, it wouldn't hurt to get out and walk more! Men these days like their wives trim!" She hadn't seen her Aunt Maren in years as the woman had only come around when she was in dire need of financial help from Jane's father, who had only ever given her half the amount she would initially ask for. Jane pulled away once again and was about to make a biting comment about her aunt's varicose veins in her arms when Hugh sidled up next to her. He pulled a hand on one of Jane's shoulders and gave a comforting squeeze.

"Hello, Aunt Maren. How nice of you to come pay respect to our father," Hugh gave her a sickly smile, he had not liked his aunt since the time she had spanked Wilhelm for teething on a pair of her heels.

Aunt Maren let out a screeching giggle that made the room quiet for a moment before everyone returned once again to their hushed conversations. "Of course, dearie! Your father was such a good man," she clutched at her heart and her face transformed into an expression of exaggerated anguish. Her demeanor became giddy in just a moment though, "And of course, I had to arrive in order to take the children home with me."

Hugh's face was stricken and Jane's ribs suddenly turned into daggers that were slowly piercing her lungs. _"What?_ What do you mean?" Hugh's iron grip on her shoulder made her wince.

The woman seemed to bounce with girly energy. "I am you and your siblings' closest family member after all! Children need a mother," she patted Hugh's cheek condescendingly and pouted her bright orange painted lips. Jane's mouth fell open at the woman's audacity.

Hugh grimaced at her hand coming into contact with his cheek. Jane felt disgusted just looking at it. It took a moment for her words to completely sink into Jane's understanding. Aunt Maren meant for them to come live with her! She fought against the urge to curl her lip at the thought of living with her aunt.

Hugh rose to his full height and now towered greatly over both Jane and her aunt. Jane felt a deep smugness at the way Aunt Maren's eyes widened at the tall and broad form that was her brother. His imposing stature had deterred many of Jane's potential suitors from asking for her hand. "You forget that as of last year, I became a legal adult under British law. I am nineteen. My brothers and sister shall stay with me and I will assume the role of their legal guardian," Hugh pushed his sister halfway behind him as if trying to shield her from Aunt Maren's plump and frilly form. The daggers that were her ribs gently receded. She hadn't had any idea that this was what Hugh had planned to do, though she hadn't really thought about how they would go about in the aftermath of their father's death. Aunt Maren audibly gasped and raised her hand to hover over her heart. When she got no reaction out of her dramatics, her hands balled into fists and she somehow managed to sneer in a sweet, childlike way.

 _"_ _You? Raise children?_ We both know that's absurd! They need a motherly influence!" Her voice raised to a fervor pitch and a few bystanders nervously glanced in her direction.

"We already have a mother!" Jane pushed past Hugh, she tried to keep her voice down in order to avoid looks from the people around them. Jane was outraged that this vile woman would have the nerve to defile her mother's memory like that, let alone the fact that she had so brazenly insulted Hugh. "Not to mention the youngest one of us is sixteen, we hardly need raising!"

"What's going on here?" Jane whipped her head around to see John standing right behind her.

Jane opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by her aunt, "I was simply informing your siblings that I shall be taking you all home with me and adopting you as my own. Except Hugh, of course. As he pointed out he is much too old," Aunt Maren spat.

John's eyebrows shot up but he quickly relaxed his expression into the easy smile that so many people, adults especially, for some reason found trustworthy. There had been times when John had been caught doing something he shouldn't have and got out of it by shooting a teacher that smile and telling them he was completely innocent. Jane had told him many times that he should become a politician. "And how do you two feel about that?" he addressed Jane and Hugh.

Once again, Jane was interrupted. "Absolutely not. You will stay with me in the family's estate," Hugh's voice had an air of finality, though Aunt Maren seemed unable to pick up on it.

"Well of course we'll stay here," Aunt Maren looked at Hugh like he was a five-year-old without a grasp on reality. "You'll be the one to leave, dearie," her sweet exterior was now covering her again.

Jane felt her blood run cold. The old bat wanted them for their inheritance and property, how had she not realized that? Aunt Maren was not satisfied with the money her father had lent her when he was alive, so she would forcibly take it from his children as soon as he died. Jane was stunned that a woman could be so terrible. She looked Aunt Maren up and down again, she had curled auburn hair on her head that was pinned up precariously and she knew if she poked it that it would not move with all of the product in it. her face was wrinkled and oily and make up that was a few shades too light was sloppily smeared onto her skin, and she was squeezed into the dress she was wearing and the buttons that ran up the bodice looked as if they would pop any moment. In short, her aunt was not an attractive woman. "You absolute hag," Jane hissed. Her aunt's face distorted into one of pure offense.

"You insolent child! You don't understand the way the world works!" she snarled.

John pulled Jane back by her arm. "We'll be signing our rights over to Hugh, and you will never speak to my sister like that again—that is if you ever get another chance to have privilege of being in her company. Now leave," he had his trademark smile on but his voice was cold and his grey eyes flashed like steel striking flint. Aunt Maren looked between the three of them wildly. She let out a huff and stormed away, but didn't leave before dumping a platter of desert cakes into her purse. Jane didn't relax until she saw the woman exit the front door.

Jane looked around and found that a number of guests were staring at the trio, though most pretended to not have noticed anything. "What a horrible woman," John muttered and shook his head.

"Agreed," Hugh adjusted his black coat though it was in vain because just a moment later Jane launched herself at him and rumpled it once more. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest, trying not to cry. The impact had knocked the breath out of him and he let out a soft _oof._ He exchanged a curious look with John but hugged his sister back regardless. She knew Hugh was glancing around the room nervously, Hugh had never been comfortable with putting his emotions on display, least of all in the form of public affection. He patted her back softly when she didn't let go of him for another few moments. "Jane?"

She looked up at him with her shining blue eyes and met his, which were only a few shades lighter than her own. "Thank you." Her gratefulness for her brother was so great that she felt as if any moment it would fill her up completely and spill over the sides in the form of tears.

"For what?" Hugh looked perplexed and searched her gaze.

She pulled away from him and smiled, "Letting us stay with you, of course," she gestured to John, who nodded his agreement.

"Well, it's not like it was a decision I had to think hard about. The moment father died, I knew it was what would happen," Hugh shrugged.

"Knew what would happen?" Wilhelm joined their small circle. He took a huge bite of the chocolate covered pastry he had in his hand.

"Hugh just saved us from living with Aunt Maren," John elbowed his older brother playfully. Wilhelm cocked a questioning eyebrow at him, unable to speak with his mouth full of desert. "The big old teddy bear is adopting us because technically we're still wee babes." John smiled authentically. It was unlike the one he had used with Aunt Maren, this one was slightly crooked and made his eyes squint.

Wilhelm waited a moment and swallowed politely. "Good on you, brother," he grinned and pushed his shoulder length blond hair behind his ear. "Didn't like that old hag, anyways."

Hugh let out an exasperated sigh, "What is it with this family and calling people hags today?"

Jane blushed. "Who else called someone a hag?" Wilhelm asked laughingly and looked between Jane and John.

"I did. I called Aunt Maren one," Jane raised her hand.

Wilhelm's eyebrows shot up in mirth. "Well good on you too, sister."

"Though in my defense," she looked at Hugh pointedly, "she was trying to take us away from you."

Hugh nodded at his sister's reasoning. "True. We are not the sort of family to separate so easily."

Wilhelm grabbed four drinks off of a waiter's tray as he passed and distributed them amongst his siblings. "To Father," Wilhelm's goofy smiled drooped a bit, "and to never parting!" They echoed his toast and clinked their glasses.

"Wilhelm, I'm sure you're not about to drink that wine—" Hugh started but before he could finish his sentence, Wilhelm had down the red wine in one go.

OoOoOo

After she thanked everyone at the reception for their respect and the crowd slowly dispersed, Jane said a quick goodnight to her brothers and made her way upstairs to her room. The moment she closed the door she leaned against it and sighed. She missed her father. Though she would be forever indebted to Hugh for taking them on as dependents, she would still rather have her father as the head of the house. She crossed her room and sat in front of her white vanity mirror. She lit an oil lantern and looked at herself in the mirror. She was much paler than usual which was saying something. Her grandfather had been an Irish immigrant to the colonies, and one of the ways you could spot an O'Coileain was if they had alabaster skin. The second was the strange red birthmark that almost all of them had on the back of their neck. She ghosted her fingers across the skin that felt completely normal though she knew it was tinted a light pink. She began taking out the pins in her hair and her updo fell down, her curls were now even more voluminous after being confined in that hairstyle. She lifted up a mass of brown hair and huffed, thinking that her hair was taking revenge on her for being constrained for so long. She scrutinized her hair in the mirror and decided for the umpteenth time that it gave away her ancestry and smiled slightly. Her blue eyes were dull and the whites were slightly red. She and Hugh had inherited their blue eyes from their father, though John and Wilhelm had inherited their mother's lovely slate grey eyes. At the thought of her parents, Jane began to cry. She was an orphan! She put her face in her hands and tried to muffle her sobs. The pain that accompanied losing her father was unlike anything she had ever felt. When she had lost her mother, she had been too young to understand the full meaning of the word 'dead' and therefore hadn't realized that she would never see her mother again, and now she wished for that ignorance to envelop her once more. Her grief had been muted at the funeral and reception as she had been distracted by the proceedings and people, but now it hit her full force. She felt detached from the world around her, and the thought of that only made her cry more.

Her father had been a good man, especially during times when men like that were rare and far between. He was a hard worker, building his textile factory from the ground up. His success hadn't made him cruel, if anything it helped contrast with his poor childhood even more and he felt a sense of duty to the people around him that other men of his class did not. He was fair and kind and _dead._ Someone knocked on her door and she realized she had lost track of time sitting at her vanity. "Goodnight Jane," John said softly and she heard his footsteps recede into his room, which was right across the hall from hers.

She stood up from her vanity sharply and began to shed her black dress. She kicked off her small heels clumsily as she tried to peel the garment off of herself. She was about to give up and sleep in the wretched thing, when it suddenly slid off of her. She untied her corset with deft fingers and threw it aside. She looked at the mess she had made of her room with her clothing in the flickering lamplight and sniffed loudly, swiping at her nose with the back of her hand. She pulled a silk white nightgown out of her closet and slipped it on. After blowing out the small light in her room she jumped into bed and curled up with her childhood stuffed animal and cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, she went out to breakfast with puffy red eyes. Her brothers did not ask why. They were all sporting the same feature.


End file.
